@photonewspn | photographynews.co.uk
NEWS / 5
MEDIUM FORMAT Quirky glass for big sensors
Two budget indie lenses offer fresh creative looks for medium format and full-frame shooters
Two new third-party lenses are proving creativity doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag for medium format, and both are also available for full-frame mirrorless. We look at the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye and Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro.
FIVE ALIVE Mitakon Macro brings the tiny world much closer The Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x
Its optical design – 13 elements in eight groups – promises sharp results with vibrant, accurate colours across the entire focus range. Crucially, the lens also offers a decent working distance of 150mm at 1x and 65mm at 5x, giving photographers more space for lighting and composition. The Mitakon features a robust metal body, detachable Arca-Swiss lens support, integrated LED ring light illumination and 58mm filter thread. It’s available in Sony E, Canon RF and EF, Nikon Z and F, Fujifilm GFX and X, Leica L and Hasselblad XCD fits. Weighing 690g, the manual focus lens is priced at roughly £265, making it a strong contender for serious macro shooters looking for performance at a budget price. zyoptics.net
Macro lens from ZY Optics is another budget option for both full-frame and medium format cameras. It offers an impressive magnification range, from life-size 1x up to 5x, so can capture small flowers, microscopic textures and more in exceptional detail.
A BUG’S LIFE If you want to get incredibly close to insects, the Mitakon 1-5x lens gets you there and fits medium format and full- frame mirrorless
LAOWA POWER Fisheye fun for serious cameras Laowa has announced that its
distinctive 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye is now available to medium format shooters in Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad XCD mounts for the first time. It’s the widest-ever lens for these serious cameras, costing around £520. While the lens doesn’t fully cover the larger GFX and XCD sensors, it produces striking circular fisheye images at the wide end and diagonal fisheye at longer focal lengths. So you can embrace a dramatic look or crop to taste, with options ranging from classic 1:1 to panoramic XPan 65:24 ratios thanks to high-resolution sensors. A minimum focusing distance of 16cm allows dramatic close-ups, while a compact build of around 650g makes it travel-friendly. It’s also available in Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon EF mounts. venuslens.net
SMALL CHANGES The stunning 8-15mm fisheye zoom now fits medium format cameras, will give unique results and is incredibly affordable
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